Ex-NASA employee pleads guilty to child porn

A former NASA employee has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his government computer, authorities said today.

Mark Charles Zelinsky, 56, of San Bruno entered a guilty plea Monday before U.S. District Judge James Ware in San Jose. Zelinsky admitted to possessing more than 600 images of child pornography, authorities said.

Ware is to sentence Zelinsky on March 24.

Zelinsky was employed at NASA's Ames Research Center in August 2005 when he possessed images of child pornography on a government computer, the indictment against him said.

Another former NASA employee, Christopher Burt Wiltsee, 56, of Morgan Hill has child-pornography charges pending in federal court, records show. Wiltsee was employed at Ames in June 2005 when he also had child-pornography images on his government computer, authorities said.

NASA Ames spokesman Mike Mewhinney has confirmed that both men no longer work at the center.